Software Engineering Manager - Control System

planqc; München; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

planqc builds neutral-atom quantum computers based on arrays of optically trapped atoms controlled with high-precision laser systems. As Software Engineering Manager - Control System, you will lead a growing team of engineers working closely with the hardware development of our neutral-atom quantum computer.

You will drive development of the control system software stack and ensure growth and delivery impact while aligning with product priorities.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years in engineering leadership or strong track record as senior engineer with team coordination.
• Solid technical background in embedded systems, control software, distributed systems, and hardware-related development.
• Fluent in English; German is a plus.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop tests and optics lab environments.
• Strong leadership, communication, and agile project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a team of engineers.
• Run regular 1:1s, mentoring, and career development conversations.
• Provide performance feedback and conduct evaluations.
• Hire, onboard, and retain top engineering talent.
• Foster a healthy, diverse, and collaborative team culture.
• Drive execution through planning, prioritization, and delivery monitoring.
• Align team goals with company and product priorities.
• Ensure engineering quality standards (testing, reviews, documentation).
• Facilitate design discussions and guide technical decisions.
• Coordinate dependencies with hardware and software teams and proactively remove blockers.
• Communicate progress, risks, and needs to senior leadership.
• Support preparation and submission of new project and funding applications.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Project management

English proficiency

Embedded systems

Control software

Hardware-in-the-loop testing

Optics lab experience

Agile workflows

Tools

Embedded software tools

Job description

Your mission

As Software Engineering Manager - Control System at planqc, you will lead and support a growing team of engineers working closely with the hardware development of our neutral-atom quantum computer. You will ensure their personal growth, technical excellence, and delivery impact while driving the development of the control system software stack. In close collaboration with cross-functional teams, particularly hardware engineers and senior leadership, you will align technical execution with company strategy and product priorities, while fostering a healthy and collaborative engineering culture.

Key Responsibilities

People Management

• Lead and support a team of engineers.
• Run regular 1:1s, mentoring, and career development conversations.
• Provide performance feedback and conduct evaluations.
• Hire, onboard, and retain top engineering talent.
• Foster a healthy, diverse, and collaborative team culture.

Technical & Project Management

• Drive execution through planning, prioritization, and delivery monitoring.
• Align team goals with company and product priorities.
• Ensure engineering quality standards (testing, reviews, documentation).
• Facilitate design discussions and guide technical decisions.
• Coordinate dependencies with hardware and software teams and proactively remove blockers.
• Communicate progress, risks, and needs to senior leadership.
• Support preparation and submission of new project and funding applications.

Your responsibilities

Necessary Requirements

• 3-5 years of experience in engineering leadership, or strong track record as senior engineer with team coordination experience.
• Solid technical background in embedded systems, control software, software architecture, distributed systems, and industry experience in hardware-related development.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop tests and integration with experimental hardware.
• Experience working in or with optics labs.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with proven ability to build trust and motivate teams.
• Experience with project management practices and agile workflows.
• Fluent in English (spoken and written); German is a plus.
• Valid work permit for Germany or the EU.

Supplementary skills

• Background in electronics, FPGA programming, or real-time systems.
• Prior experience in a startup or research-driven environment.
• Experience working with funding applications or R&D projects.

About Us

planqc builds neutral-atom quantum computers based on arrays of optically trapped atoms controlled with high-precision laser systems. Our platform combines technologies from optical lattice clocks, quantum gas microscopes and fast Rydberg gates into a scalable computing architecture.

Founded in 2022 as a spin-off from MPQ and LMU Munich, we translate more than a decade of AMO research into deployable quantum systems. Our work spans vacuum and laser hardware, control electronics, firmware, system software and algorithm integration. We focus on turning complex experimental setups into stable, reproducible systems that operate in real computing environments.

Behind this technology is a team that pushes technical boundaries, values open exchange and shared ownership. Physicists, engineers, software developers and business specialists work closely together, often across disciplinary limits. We believe progress comes from combining deep expertise with practical engineering and from giving people the responsibility and trust to shape their domain.

As we grow across our locations in Garching, Ulm, and Innsbruck, we continue to build a company where people take ownership, learn from each other, and directly shape the systems we bring into operation.